Investigating the cybersecurity threat landscape for Botswana

Abstract

Movement restrictions introduced by the coronavirus pandemic have incentivized the rollout of online services globally. Additionally, more employees were telecommuting throughout the pandemic and remote work has become the new normal. This has provided nefarious actors with lucrative opportunities. Hence there has been an increase in online criminal and terrorism activities. The weaponization of the cyberspace is also a concerning trend in the ongoing geopolitical tensions. This is because states see the cyberspace as a tool for engaging in asymmetrical warfare. In Botswana, government services are being transitioned to online services through the digital transformation strategy. As a result, the cyber-attack surface area in Botswana has also increased. Botswana has establishments for mitigating the impact of cyber-attacks such as the Computer Incidents Response Team (CIRT) and the Digital Forensic Lab. However, there is a lack of publicly available empirical datasets on the occurrence of cyber threats in the country. Such a dataset is important for organizations, and individuals to benefit from the knowledge shared by the broader community on threats and their mitigations. This study therefore investigated the cybersecurity threat landscape for Botswana by analysing the threats, countermeasures and cybercrime legislation. Data triangulation and exploratory data analytics were the methods used for data collection and analysis in this study. The data sources were a United Kingdom (UK) cybersecurity incidents dataset, a questionnaire, online articles, and government documents and speeches. Findings in Botswana were also compared to South Africa and the UK. This dissertation concluded that the cyber threats in Botswana are similar to those identified in developed countries and regional countries. As such strengthening already existing cooperative measures with cybersecurity stakeholders will help improve the cybersecurity posture of Botswana. Other cybersecurity measures that have potential for growth are organizational and technical measures.